The Zero Energy Building in Singapore is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. The retrofitted building has been running entirely on solar power since it began operating in 2009 and had even recorded a cumulative surplus of 37 megawatt hours of electricity as at June 25 this year.

Converted from a former workshop, the three-story building located at Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Academy holds the key to the island’s quest to reduce its dependency on imported fuel.

“It’s a test bed for the green building technologies in the tropics. We’re located near the equator so some of the green building methods applicable to countries with four seasons may not be suitable here,” said BCA